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"While he sometimes maybe thinks that he is more of an assist player, I think he should be able to do some of the things that he conjured up on Sunday against Fulham."

O'Neill also hailed the efforts of £14m summer arrival Steven Fletcher, who until Sunday was the club's only scorer in the league this season, apart from Newcastle's Demba Ba, whose own goal ensured a derby draw at the Stadium of Light in October.

"Fletcher has been terrific," O'Neill added. "He probably will always be judged on goals as a centre-forward, that will be the first thing they would do.

"The goals he has scored for us have been very, very important, every one of

them, and the goal he scored on Sunday was brilliantly taken.

"But his overall play was excellent for us and even during that time where

maybe he didn't score a goal, he still led the line brilliantly.

"We need to create more chances for him, we just need to do that, to keep his

goal ratio in reasonable condition. We have to do that.

"Having said that, it was also pleasing that we scored from a few other people